Yoshua Bengio, considered one of the “Godfathers of AI,” warns that the threat of job displacement by AI is no longer a distant future but a present reality, with even trade jobs at risk as the technology becomes more sophisticated.
Fortune reports that Yoshua Bengio, a prominent computer science professor at the Université de Montréal and one of the pioneers of AI, has issued a stark warning about the impending job losses due to the rapid advancement of AI technology. Bengio, who spent four decades building the very technology that now threatens to replace human workers, believes that the AI job squeeze is already underway, particularly for those working in “cognitive jobs” that involve using a keyboard.
Speaking on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast, Bengio emphasized that it is only a matter of time before AI becomes capable of performing more and more tasks currently done by people. He noted that unless there is a scientific obstacle preventing AI from becoming smarter, companies are eager to integrate the technology into their workflows, leading to widespread job displacement.
While the impact is currently most evident among Gen Z new-hires, with junior roles being the easiest to cut, consolidate, or replace with software, Bengio warns that everyone’s jobs will eventually be affected within the next five years. Even highly educated students are finding themselves “unemployable” as employers adopt a cautious approach amidst the AI revolution. Major tech companies like Intel, IBM, and Google have already frozen thousands of potential new roles that AI is expected to take over in the near future.
Bengio’s warning extends beyond office jobs, as he predicts that even trade jobs and physical labor will eventually succumb to automation. As companies deploy more robots and collect more data, AI systems will become increasingly capable of performing a wider range of tasks. Young people attempting to outsmart automation by pursuing trade jobs may only find temporary relief, as AI and robotics advance to replace those positions as well.
Reflecting on his life’s work, Bengio expressed regret for not recognizing the risks of AI earlier. He admitted that his turning point came with the release of ChatGPT and the realization that his grandson’s future might be uncertain due to the rapid development of AI systems that resist being shut down.
In response to these concerns, Bengio founded LawZero, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building safe and human-aligned AI systems. However, he warns that at the current rate of change, not only jobs but even democracy itself could collapse within the next two decades.
Bengio’s message to CEOs is to step back from their work and collaborate to solve the problem. He emphasizes that the competitive nature of the industry is driving companies to take huge risks that could have detrimental effects on society as a whole.
This mirrors the recent career of Bengio’s fellow Godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton, who resigned from Google in 2023 after realized what his career has been devoted to creating:
In a recent in-depth interview, Dr. Hinton expressed regret over his life’s work, which formed the basis for the AI systems used by significant tech companies. He stated, “I console myself with the normal excuse: If I hadn’t done it, somebody else would have.” Industry leaders believe that generative AI could result in important advances in a variety of industries, including drug research and education, but there is growing concern about the risks that this technology might present.
“It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things,” Dr. Hinton said. He emphasized the potential for generative AI to contribute to the spread of misinformation, displace jobs, and even threaten humanity in the long term.
Read more at Fortune here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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